L-363,586 is a somatostatin analog described in Freidinger et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,518 which is herein incorporated by reference.
L-363,586 has the structure; cyclo-(N-methyl-Ala-Tyr-d-Trp-Lys-Val-Phe) wherein the abbreviated amino acid components are defined as follows; Ala-, 1-alanine; Tyr-, 1-tyrosine; d-Trp-, d-Tryptophan; Lys-, 1-lysine; Val-, 1-valine; and Phe-, 1-phenylalanine.
L-363,586 is reported in U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,518 to be useful for inhibiting the release of glucagon, growth hormone and insulin. The compound is also described therein as being useful for inhibiting the release of gastric acid secretions.
Gastic cytoprotection not involving the inhibition of gastric acid secretions, is a known phenomenon. For example, prostaglandin F2.beta. does not inhibit gastric acid secretion, but the compound does induce gastric cytoprotection. Other prostaglandins induce gastric cytoprotection at much smaller dose levels than those required for the inhibition of gastric acid secretion. See for example, Shriver, U.S. Pat. No. 4,370,348.
Somatostatin has been reported to produce gastric cytoprotection. However, this effect is reported to be dependent on the presence of endogenous sulfhydryl groups. Somatostatin analogs lacking such endogenous sulfhydryl groups do not induce cytoprotection. See: S. Szabo et al., Experimentia 38 254 (1982).
It has been discovered that L-363,586, a somatostatin analog devoid of endogenous sulfhydryl groups, is useful for inducing gastric cytoprotection via a mechanism not involving the inhibition of gastric acid secretions.